SWMBO insists we take a gondola ride. Having seen "Death in Venice"
are prices posted, do you haggle etc?
Any info of any type appreciated.
--
Mike Reid
Land of roast meat "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk/castile.htm"
(see web to email)

The prices are officially set, and are posted at several "official" gondola
bases.
a.. Gondola-Traghetto / Gondola Station - Ferrovia Santa Croce - Venezia
Tel. 041 718543
b.. Gondola-Traghetto / Gondola Station - S. Sofia Cannaregio - Venezia
Tel. 041 5222844
c.. Gondola-Traghetto / Gondola Station - Rialto S. Marco - Venezia Tel.
041 5224904
d.. Gondola-Traghetto / Gondola Station - S. TomàS. Polo - Venezia Tel.
041 5205275
e.. Gondola-Traghetto / Gondola Station - S. Samuele - Venezia.
f.. Gondola-Traghetto / Gondola Station - S.M. del Giglio S. Marco -
Venezia Tel. 041 5222073
g.. Gondola-Traghetto / Gondola Station - Dogana S. Marco - Venezia Tel.
041 5206120
h.. Gondola-Traghetto / Gondola Station - S. Marcuola Venezia
Gondoliers, however, are all over the place, at most bridges. They will
generally quote the standard price ( about 50 euros for a fifty minute ride,
higher after 9 or so). Be sure, in any case, to establish the price before
you embark. Haggling is unlikely during tourist season -- another potential
customer is along in 10 seconds. But if weather is poor, or things look
slow, try it. Gondoliers are not timid, are are more used to tourists than
you are to gondoliers.
Ask for a "back canal" ride -- the easier, for them, is on the Grand Canal,
but the ride is bumpy, and you can see it better via vaporetto.
rjf


"The Reids" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > SWMBO insists we take a gondola ride. Having seen "Death in Venice"
    > are prices posted, do you haggle etc?
    > Any info of any type appreciated.
    > --
    > Mike Reid
    > Land of roast meat "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk/castile.htm"
    > (see web to email)

On Sun, 09 Mar 2003 16:36:34 +0000, The Reids
wrote:

    >SWMBO insists we take a gondola ride. Having seen "Death in Venice"
    >are prices posted, do you haggle etc?
    >Any info of any type appreciated.

Of course a gondola ride is romantic and worth doing. But if the
budget is stretched then you can use a traghetto, which is a ferry
that's an old gondola that crosses the Grand canal at a few points.
The fare is trivial (when I was last there, just pre-Euro, it was 170
lira).

Following up to Bob Fusillo

    >The prices are officially set, and are posted at several "official" gondola
    >bases.

thanks! Printed off.
--
Mike Reid
Land of roast meat "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk/castile.htm"
(see web to email)

We were there last July and although we were given the same advice, seeing
the crowds, line-ups, and congested canals with 'bumper-gondolas' we sort of
continued with our travel philosophy and asked whether it was worth the line
up. We decided we wouldn't worry about it and it became a low priority.

On one of our early morning walks...probably about 8am...we happened across
a Gondolier waiting for his day to begin. He offered us a ride at a
discount (can't quite remember but it was 10-20Euro discount). We accepted
and it was charming and the canals were quiet. By the time we returned, the
lineups were amazing!

I think the same might apply in the evening....but not sure.

So, my advice is don't make it a number one priority and do it only if its
worth it to you. You will have some time to watch them and decide for
yourself.




"Bob Fusillo" wrote in message
news:8VMaa.24416$qi4.14958@rwcrnsc54...
    > The prices are officially set, and are posted at several "official"
gondola
    > bases.
    > a.. Gondola-Traghetto / Gondola Station - Ferrovia Santa Croce - Venezia
    > Tel. 041 718543
    > b.. Gondola-Traghetto / Gondola Station - S. Sofia Cannaregio - Venezia
    > Tel. 041 5222844
    > c.. Gondola-Traghetto / Gondola Station - Rialto S. Marco - Venezia Tel.
    > 041 5224904
    > d.. Gondola-Traghetto / Gondola Station - S. TomàS. Polo - Venezia Tel.
    > 041 5205275
    > e.. Gondola-Traghetto / Gondola Station - S. Samuele - Venezia.
    > f.. Gondola-Traghetto / Gondola Station - S.M. del Giglio S. Marco -
    > Venezia Tel. 041 5222073
    > g.. Gondola-Traghetto / Gondola Station - Dogana S. Marco - Venezia Tel.
    > 041 5206120
    > h.. Gondola-Traghetto / Gondola Station - S. Marcuola Venezia
    > Gondoliers, however, are all over the place, at most bridges. They will
    > generally quote the standard price ( about 50 euros for a fifty minute
ride,
    > higher after 9 or so). Be sure, in any case, to establish the price before
    > you embark. Haggling is unlikely during tourist season -- another
potential
    > customer is along in 10 seconds. But if weather is poor, or things look
    > slow, try it. Gondoliers are not timid, are are more used to tourists than
    > you are to gondoliers.
    > Ask for a "back canal" ride -- the easier, for them, is on the Grand
Canal,
    > but the ride is bumpy, and you can see it better via vaporetto.
    > rjf
    > "The Reids" wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > > SWMBO insists we take a gondola ride. Having seen "Death in Venice"
    > > are prices posted, do you haggle etc?
    > > Any info of any type appreciated.
    > > --
    > > Mike Reid
    > > Land of roast meat "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk/castile.htm"
    > > (see web to email)